Asia’s largest event on civil aviation encompassing commercial, general and business segments ‘Wings India 2024’, started on Thursday in Hyderabad with launch of new UDAN 5.3 scheme, launch of the Airbus-Air India Training Centre, Airbus manufacturing contracts with TATA ASL and Mahindra Aerospace Structures to foster more pilots and GMR and IndiGo signing a consortium to collaborate with multiple patterns in developing sustainable training in the aerospace industry. Hyderabad has become a hub for wings and global civil aviation and Telangana is the fastest growing state in civil aviation with a thrust on aviation and aerospace.
With accessibility, availability and affordability defining India’s civil aviation perspective to the world, India is expected to grow to 300 million domestic passengers by 2030 and would still be one of the most unpenetrated markets in the top 20 world markets, according to Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel who inaugurated ‘Wings India 2024’ organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation along with Airports Authority of India and FICCI. “India has become a shining star in the aviation landscape. India is the 7th largest civil aviation market in the world and if we consider both the domestic and international passengers, we stand as the 5th largest,” said Scindia.
India has traversed long distance, with new records, faster development, and a rise in the international landscape. To enable last mile connectivity, under UDAN 5.3, five new regional airlines, air taxi, etc. have been set up. Positioning India on the path of becoming the drone hub of the world, 10,000 women drone pilots would be covered under the government sponsored scheme. The Telangana Government was focusing on setting up a helipad in each district and heli-tourism in Hyderabad and Vemulawada.
Meanwhile, Remi Maillard, Chairman FICCI Civil Aviation Committee and President & Managing Director, Airbus (India & South Asia) has outlined plans to increase its purchases from India to USD1.5 billion, doubling the current procurement value, as per various reports. Informing this at the “Wings India” event in Hyderabad, Maillard expressed confidence in the growing aviation market in India, anticipating a need for 2,840 aircraft by 2035.